


Clever Bunny

by posingasme



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Codes & Ciphers, Detective Exam, F/M, Judy believes in Nick, Movie Night, Self Confidence, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-13 23:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7142183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posingasme/pseuds/posingasme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick won't let anyone see that it's getting to him, but Judy knows he's nervous about his detective exam. She devises a night of fun to boost his morale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clever Bunny

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Belteshazzar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belteshazzar/gifts).



> For a sweet reader...

Foxes in general were curious things. Cats had nothing on these guys. So Nick could pretend to be cool all he wanted, but Judy knew he wouldn't be able to stand it. Maybe Gideon from back in Bunnyburrow wouldn't have been able to follow her clues, or may have given up. Foxes came in all different types, of course. But Judy knew Nick, and she knew he would never be able to resist the teasing tone of her notes, let alone the mysterious surprise waiting for him if he managed to crack the code.

And that was what it was all about, of course. Nick would be taking his detective exam next week, and codes were the part Judy had done best with.

Okay, honestly, Judy had aced the whole thing, but that wasn't the point. Nick was clever, and he was working hard, but she could tell he was nervous, even if he tried not to let anyone see that it was getting to him. Weeks of assuring him that he was ready, that he was an excellent officer, and so smart, had only temporarily helped ease the anxiety. She had just learned that Nick had ordered yet another blueberry pie shipped from Gideon through her mother’s new delivery business. It was his comfort food. If he didn't get through this test soon, he might have a permanently blue tongue.

Not that she had been looking at his tongue. Or his anything, for that matter. But it was still a concern.

So Judy had decided to run Nick through the most difficult part of the exam with a little test of her own design, to prove to him he was ready and give him some much-needed stress relief at the same time. She had laid the clues, and now there was just the wait.

She didn't have to wait long. Clawhauser had given him his first note when his shift ended, and he was walking out of the precinct. She knew this had happened twenty minutes ago, because the cheetah had sent her an excited text full of emoticons, and she could practically hear his squeal and Nick’s exasperated eye roll from the bridge. The game was on.

Judy hugged herself giddily. This was too fun.

She got the extensive text from the former Miss Big not long after that, telling her that the fox had broken the first code, and had sauntered in to receive the next with a sly grin. She had handed it to him with a giggle. “Oh my god, Judy! He's so adorable when anybody even says your name! I'm just curious-how do you feel about mixed relationships? My daddy says they can be trouble when one’s a prey and the other’s not, but I think it's so romantical!”

Judy laughed, and she wondered suddenly if a blush was visible through her fur. She didn't think so, but she had never had occasion to do so in front of a mirror.

It was time to get everything set up, but she didn't bother to hurry. The third code, if Nick could break it, would lead him to Flash, and she had assumed ample time for this one.

Just as she was beginning to think Flash had been a really bad idea, in flounced a very pleased fox. “Hey there, Carrots,” he laughed. “What's with the scavenger hunt? A code sending me off to the tundra? If Clawhauser hadn't been so excited, I might have worried Mr. Big had changed his mind about icing me! Then Flash, and...What's this all about?”

She lifted her paws and grinned. “Movie night!” she announced grandly.

“Aw, Hopps,” he sighed, with a regretful tone but an adoring smile. “I gotta study! You know that!”

“Didn't you just decipher three really tough codes to get here?” she pointed out.

Nick’s smile widened. “I did, didn't I?”

“I call that studying enough for tonight. Come on. There's popcorn and carrot cake and blueberries all laid out, and we're watching a classic. One I happen to know you have never seen. Part of your very own ancient heritage,” she scolded.

His eyes were steady on her, and his smile was getting away from him. “Yeah? What's that?”

It was around the part where the little girl rabbit calls Robin Hood dreamy that Nick finally wrapped his arm around Judy. She sighed happily and snuggled into his warmth. By the time Maid Marian was kissing her outlaw, Nick was kissing his fellow officer. They didn't see most of the rest, but it was a documentary, and everyone knew how it ended anyway.

The credits were rolling when her phone buzzed with a text message. “Judy, it's Flash. Nick cracked the code, and he's heading your way!”


End file.
